Audi A8 L 4.2 Quattro

What a difference five inches and four new tires make.

Perhaps you recall that in our November 1999 issue -- still readily available in dentists' waiting rooms all across the continent -- we indicted the otherwise lovely Audi A8 for its "less generous" rear-seat room and its squirmy, howling Continental tires. Those shortcomings relegated the A8 to third place in "The Dowsters" comparison test of five high-lux cruisers. And now, just months later, those problems have been resolved with the introduction of the new Audi A8 L 4.2 Quattro.

The "L'' indicates a 5.1-inch stretch of the wheelbase, which in turn results in nearly four more cubic feet of stretch-out space in the back seat. This modification to the length of the car does not, however, spoil the classy proportions of this understated but elegant all-aluminum sedan. In fact, without a glance at the rump-mounted badging, you may have trouble picking out the longer model.

Curiously, rear-seat legroom only increases by 2.7 inches, as the rear seat is relocated about 2.4 inches forward in the car and lowered a bit. The move boosts rear headroom by 0.3 inch (and shoulder room by a smidge), and it should reduce the degree to which rear-suspension inputs perturb those occupying the heated rear thrones. Among its chief rivals, only the stretched BMW 7-series trumps the A8 L for leg-crossing spaciousness.

All stretched A8s come standard with rear-seat sunshades, a navigation system, heated seats, and Audi's electronic stability program (ESP) -- all of which stretches the base price by $6195 to $69,946. This year all A8s get new Sideguard curtain airbags, a third shoulder belt in the rear seat, new softer Valcona leather upholstery (were the old nappa hides considered tough?), electroluminescent gauge lighting, and a mild restyling of the bumpers, headlights, and decklid. And despite all of that, the price of the base A8 4.2 Quattro is down $3519 to $63,751 (the 3.7-liter front-drive model has been retired).

Our A8 L was 119 pounds porkier than the Audi contestant in our November comparo, but at the track, the L did the 60-mph dash in just 6.6 seconds, besting the shorter car by 0.4 second. Our test car's $1050 optional 17-inch Goodyear Eagle LS tires helped halt 70-mph progress in just 180 feet, and they glommed onto the skidpad with 0.81 g of grip. (The squeally ContiTouring Contacts employed on our last A8's 17-inch wheel upgrade took 202 feet to stop and generated only 0.77 g.) Longtime readers will recall that we've hurled abuse at previous Audis shod with Eagle LSs. Come to think of it, we can't recall a single A8 that didn't need a tire-ectomy. But the Goodyear folks have tweaked the rubber chemistry and construction, and the result is that these new ones are quiet and grippy at the limit without compromising ride quality. An 18-inch wheel package is also offered.

Stability-enhancement technology is added this year to help wring the maximum dynamic benefit from those new tires. ESP is standard on L models and a $550 option on base A8s. We only managed to engage the system in a few extremely overcooked sharp turns. In each case, it curbed the inevitable understeer quite effectively.

Hustling down any less-traveled byway, this newly shod Audi seems much better equipped to compete with the likes of BMW's 740iL. It still lacks the Bimmer's bionic steering feel, but it responds to the helm almost as eagerly, and it can be placed with a similar degree of accuracy. It's considerably faster than the 740iL we tested last November, and with all four wheels scrabbling under the watchful eye of ESP, one can summon more power on corner exits with greater confidence, especially in wet conditions.

Our biggest gripe is with the A8 L's $735 Acoustic Parking System, which could be quite an asset when mooring such a long car. But the system is calibrated way too conservatively. As the car creeps toward an obstacle, urgent beeps rise in frequency, culminating in a solid tone when the gap shrinks to eight inches in front, or a whopping 16 inches in back. Consequently, we tuned it out as we would the shrill ranting of a nervous back-seat driver. Tell us when we're three or four inches away, or skip it.

The Audi A8 has always seemed special. Precious. From its aluminum construction to its tiny sales volume (just 2481 sold here in 1999), this is no people's luxocruiser. Now it's more comfortable and better to drive. That's progress.

Model Research

*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.